– BELLATOR’S HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNEY FILLING UP

by MMAWeekly.com Staff
Bellator Fighting Championships on Friday added two more competitors to its Season 3 heavyweight tournament.

UFC veteran Eddie Sanchez and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt Rogent Lloret bring to six the total competitors in the promotion’s first tourney for the big men. Other heavyweight tournament fighters include Damian Grabowski, Neil Grove, Mike Hayes, and Scott Barrett.

The 27-year-old Sanchez enters the tournament with an overall professional record of 12-3 including eight wins via KO or TKO. He is now in the midst of a four-fight win streak that includes a 10-second KO of Jay White during Bellator 7 and a come-from-behind TKO victory over Marcus Sursa at Bellator 20.

“In that fight, Eddie demonstrated that he has great heart and drive,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “With that kind of attitude and his solid MMA game, Eddie’s a dangerous and exciting addition to our Heavyweight Tournament.”

An M-1 Global veteran, Lloret has not lost a fight in more than three years and enters the heavyweight tournament with a 9-1-1 overall professional record. He is known for his ground game – submitting six of his nine victims, including four by arm triangle choke – but also holds a knockout victory over Miodrag Petković with a devastating high head kick this past April.

“Ever since we decided that we would hold a Heavyweight Tournament, we were hoping to sign Rogent Lloret,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He was one of the top heavyweight free agents in Europe for a reason: he is devastating on the ground and has a very underrated standup attack as well. He’ll be a tough draw for whomever he faces in our Heavyweight Tournament.”

Bellator’s Season 3 kicks off on Aug. 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.